What Is My Birthstone?

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Use your date of birth in the finder above, or tap your sign to read its full guide: history, mineralogy, meanings, care, and ways to wear the featured stones.

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What Is a Birthstone?

A birthstone is a gemstone linked to the month or zodiac sign of a person’s birth. The tradition stretches back at least to the first century, when the historian Josephus drew a connection between the twelve stones on Aaron’s breastplate, the twelve months of the year, and the twelve signs of the zodiac. Over the centuries that followed, the list of which stone belongs to which month shifted as gem-trade routes opened and cultural tastes changed.

Today two main systems coexist. The modern list, standardized by the American National Association of Jewelers in 1912 and updated several times since, favors widely available, wearable gems. The traditional list draws on older European and Middle Eastern customs and includes stones like bloodstone and sardonyx that are rarely seen in mainstream jewelry stores. Neither list is more “correct” than the other — they simply reflect different eras and values.

Throughout this site, we present both systems side by side. Where a stone carries a traditional meaning — “believed to bring courage,” for example — we mark it as a cultural belief, not a scientific claim. The mineralogical data (hardness, crystal system, chemical formula) is verifiable fact; the symbolism is tradition.

Modern vs. Traditional Birthstones

The modern birthstone list was created in 1912 when the American National Association of Jewelers (now Jewelers of America) published an official standard. The goal was practical: settle the conflicting lists circulating among jewelers and give customers a single, reliable reference. The stones they chose — diamond for April, emerald for May, ruby for July — were durable, attractive, and available in commercial quantities.

The traditional list is harder to pin down because it was never standardized by a single body. It draws on a blend of biblical scholarship, medieval European lapidaries, and Hindu Ayurvedic gem traditions. Some of these associations are ancient: garnet for January appears in texts going back to at least the fifteenth century. Others, like bloodstone for March, reflect regional customs that the 1912 list chose to replace.

In practice, many people wear both — a modern stone as everyday jewelry and a traditional stone for its cultural resonance. There is no wrong choice; the best birthstone is the one that means something to you.